Illuminated heel



June 21, 1960 M. F. IRVING ETAL 2,941,315

ILLUMINATED HEEL Filed Sept. 25, 1958 FIG.4

United States Patent ILLUMINATED HEEL Mart F. Irving, 6655 57th St. NE., and William R. Duncan, 3724 Cascdia St., both of Seattle, Wash.

Filed Sept. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 763,410

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-1) This invention relates generally to the shoe construction art, and more specifically to a novel illuminated heel for shoes, and to a novel light producing electric circuit which can be inserted in a shoe heel, and therein alternates, as the wearer walks, between light producing closed circuit arrangement and open circuit arrangement.

The present invention provides a stylish shoe which has incorporated in it an eificient safety device. The light emitted by the novel shoe heel of this invention is readily visible in the dark, and provides a measure of safety for the wearer when crossing streets, waiting in darkened places and the like. It also provides an interesting effect when worn to parties and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel illuminated heel for a shoe. A further object is to provide a novel means for switching the heel light on and off as the wearer walks.

Another object is to provide a compact, easily replaced light producing electric circuit assembly for a shoe heel construction.

Still another object is to provide a transparent or translucent light transmitting shoe heel containing a light producing circuit therein, which alternates between light producing closed circuit arrangement and open circuit arrangement as pressure is applied to the seat portion of the shoe heel. I

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in ashoe construction having a light transmitting heel with an electric light producing circuit contained therein in combination with means for switching said light on and off as the wearer walks.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Fig. 1 is a side broken sectional view of a shoe and heel embodying the present'invention with the heel light in off position,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side broken sectional view of the shoe and heel embodying the present invention with a foot placed in the shoe so that the light is in on position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary partially detailed perspective view of the heel portion of a shoe suitable for use with the present invention having the sock lining, cell pad, and the intermediate sole folded forwardly to expose the shank stiffener, and

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged partial sectional view of the electric circuit with the solid lines showing open circu-it arrangement and the broken lines showing closed circuit arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been chosen for purposes of illustration comprises a woman's high heel shoe 10, as shown in Fig. 1, havmg 2,941,315 Patented June 21, 1960 a high shank and heel seat portion and a high tapered heel 11 attached thereto. The shoe 10 is of a standard construction and includes an upper 12, an inner sole 13, an intermediate sole 14, an outer sole 15, a shank stiifener 16 and a sock liner 17.

The heel 11, illustrated in Fig. 1, includes a small tapering shank portion 18 and a relatively large heel seat portion 19 and also including a breast portion 20, a cap 21, a back portion 22 and a seat surface 23 for locating the heel 11 on the shoe. A cell cavity 24 is formed in the heel seat portion 19 of the heel 11. A lamp well 25 is formed in the bottom of the cell cavity 24 preferably in an angular relation therewith. The heel 11 is I removably attached to the shoe 10 by any suitable means, but preferably by screws 26.

The novel electric circuit arrangement is shown assembled in a shoe heel in Figs. 1 and 2, and in enlarged detail in Fig. 4, and comprises an incandescent electric lamp 30, a battery seat 31 and an electric cell 32.

The battery seat 31 includes an insulator 33 having a first conductor 34 located in the approximate center thereof and extending therethrough. A second conductor 35 is connected to the battery seat 31 by some suitable means as a rivet 36 and extends at approximate right angles from the insulator 33. A compressible resilient means 37 is attached to the insulator 33 and has a cut-out center 38 giving it a doughnut like shape. The first conductor 34 is adjacent to the cut-out center 38 of the resilient means 37. The resilient means 37 is conveniently made of sponge rubber, but may be a spring or the like.

The incandescent lamp 30 enclosed in the lamp well 25 when the heel and electric circuit are in assembled arrangement. Two lead wires 40 and 41 are attached to the lamp 30. The first lead Wire 40 is connected to the first conductor 34, preferably by soldering. The second lead wire 41 is connected to the second conductor 35, preferably by soldering.

The electric cell 32 has as a first pole, a current conducting outer jacket 42, and as a second pole, a projecting tab portion 43. An electric cell suitable for use in practicing the present invention is of the type shown in the Ruben Patent No. 2,422,045, dated June 10, 1947. When in assembled arrangement the electric cell 32 rests upon the compressible resilient means 37 with the projecting tab portion 43 of the cell 32 extending into the cut-out portion 38 of the resilient means 37. The second conductor 35 is in circuit forming contact with the outer jacket 42 of the cell 32. When pressure is exerted upon the cell 32, it moves toward the insulator 33, thereby compressing the resilient means 37 When the resilient means 37 is so far compressed that the tab portion 43 ofthe cell 32 touches the first conductor 34 (as shown in Fig. 2 and by the broken lines in Fig. 4), a light forming electric circuit is completed and the lamp 3%) lights up. The circuit includes the electric cell 32, the first conductor 34, the first lead wire 40, the lamp 30, the second lead wire 41, and the second conductor 35. When the pressure is removed from the cell 32, the resilient means 37 urges the tab portion 43 of the cell 32 away from the first conductor 34, breaking the light forming circuit, and causing the lamp 30 to go out.

When the shoe 10 and heel 11 are assembled, openings 43, 44 and 45 formed in the outer sole 15, inner sole 13 and intermediate sole 14, respectively, are in alignment with and of approximately the same size as the cell cavity 24. The shank stiffener 16 is preferably of special constrnction as shown in Fig. 3. It includes a heel seat portion having opposed tang portions 46 and 47 separated by a cutout portion or elongated opening 48 which is of slightly greater width than the cell cavity 24. Elongated screw slots 50 are formed in the shank stiffener 16 to receive the screws 26 which hold the heel 11 in assembly with the shoe lamp Well 25 formed in the heel seat portion "19 thereof,

is assembled to the shoe 10,'the lamp 30 is inserted into the lamp well 25. The battery seat 31 is then inserted into the cell cavity 24 until the insulator 36-rests' against the base of the cell cavity 24. Theelectric'cel-l 3-2 is then placed in the cell cavity 24, and rests upon-the resilient means 37 with the tab portion 43 of the cell 32in the cut-out portion 38 of the resilient means 37. The second conductor 35 is in circuit forming contact with the outer jacket- 42 of the cell 32 and forms part of an electric circuit that includes the lamp 30 and the cell 32. The cell 32 normally protrudes slightly above the level of-the intermediate sole 14 into the heel portion of the shoe 10. This is best seen in Fig. 3. If desired, a pad 51 may be cemented over the cell 32 to help pad the foot from the protruding part of the cell 32, and to keep the assembly located in the proper position in the heel. The sock lining 17 is thenplaced in the shoe 10, and it is ready for wear.

In operation, the cell 32 is separated from circuit forming contact with the first conductor 34 by the resilient means 37. When theshoe 10 is worn, and the wearer is standing normally, the heel of the foot presses on the sock lining 17 against the top of the cell 32 which is protruding into the heel portionof theshoell). The foot pressure forces the cell'32 against'the resilient means 37, compressing it, and causing the tab-prtiou43 of the cell 3 2 to move in the cut-out portion 38 of the resilient means-37 into circuit forming contact with the first con ductor 34, thus completing thelight producing circuit and causing the lamp 30 to light '(Fig. 2). mentioned light producing circuit includes the cell 32, the first conductor 34,-the first lead wire ,40, the lamp 30, the second lead wire-41,and the second conductor 35.

In walking, when the foot is ofi theground (Fig. 1), the foot heel is raised from the foot pad 17,.and the spring back action of the resilient means 37 urges the cell 32 upward away from contact with the first conductor 34, thus breaking the light producing circuit and causing the lamp 30 to go oil. When the foot is placed firmly on the ground (Fig. 2) the heel is against the foot pad 17 and the cell 32 is forced against the resilient means '37, compressing it until the tab portion 43 of the cell 32 contacts thefirst insulator 34 and completes the light producing circuit ashereinbefore explained. Thus, when the wearer is walking, an alternate on-ofi effect is created with the light in each heel, and when the wearer stands, both of the heel lights are on.

1f the light producing circuit assembly does not function properly, it may easily be removed for repair or replacement by raising the sock lining 17 and removing the cell pad 5d. The circuit assembly then may be lifted out of the heel, and replaced or repaired without the use of tools or any special mechanical ability.

The shoe heel 11 is preferably transparent or translucent, and may be of any desired color to match the other apparel of the wearer. Similarly, the bulb may be of any desired color. If the heel is clear, a colored bulb is 0 The abovessa-tau preferred, however, a colored bulb may also be used with a colored heel.

The shape of the battery well and light well will be determined by the style shoe heel which is used. Also, the battery and battery seat may be altered in size and shape to be adaptable to any desired style shoe.

Thus, it is seen that we have provided a novel heel light that fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor.

This invention is further intended to cover all changes and modification of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A womans high heel shoe including a shoe body having a high shank portion and a translucent heel having a small tapered shank portion and a relatively large seatportion fitted to the shoe body, the heel having a cavity: in theseat-portion larger in cross-sectional area than the-cross-sectional area of the-heel shank and having -a shoulder intermediateits depth, light producing meansin the cavity comprising an electric -cell, au-incandescent lamp, and circuit completing means between said lamps and said cell including an insulator seated on said shoulder, a first conductor connecting said lamp to onepole of said cell, a second conductor extending from said lamp through said insulator, and resilient means seated on said insulator urging said cell and second conductor into open circuit arrangement, said cell extending through the shoe inner sole at the heel area and beingresponsive-tofoot pressure at the heel area to-move against said resilient means into closed circuit arrangement with the second conductor.

2. In a womans shoe comprising a shoe bodyhaving ahigh'shank' portion and heel seat portion and including an inner sole, an intermediate sole, an outsole and a sock liner, and a high tapered heel adapted to be removably secured to-the heel seat of said shoe body, said heel including an elongated shankportion of relatively small cross-sectional area and relatively large heel seat portion, the improvement which comprises alignedopenings in the inner, intermediate and outer soles, a cavity inthe seat portion of said heel in communicationwith-said aligned-openings, a shank stiifener'including aheel'seat portion having an elongated opening in alignment-with said aligned openings and having elongated slots for adjustably receiving heel securing means whereby said heel is adjustable on said heel seat to align said cavity with said openings, said heelbeing formed of translucent material, and illuminating means removably'positioned in said cavity and aligned openings adapted to intermittently illuminatesaid heel.

References Cited in the fileof this patent iltaly Sept. 30, 1954 

